


Of Stars and of Swords

by The_Impostor



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Drabble Collection, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-03-03 10:19:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2847491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Impostor/pseuds/The_Impostor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just some ErLu drabbles and oneshots, both canon 'verse and AU, no real connections.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Christmas Came Early This Year

**Author's Note:**

> From now on, I'll be posting all of the chapters of this to both FFN and Ao3, the first 9 drabbles are available on my FFN account, under the same name, and also, here's some context for this drabble.
> 
> Notes: College AU, Erza and Lucy are roommates, and they have to decorate their dorm floor for the holidays.

"Well, that only half killed me..." Sighed Lucy, as she flopped on her bed, in the dorm room she and Erza, both freshmen, shared.

"Mine was worse, I promise." Quipped Erza, who had returned a few minutes before, and was already resting from her finals.

"I didn't think Library Science would be this hard..." Muttered Lucy, with a weary grin. "Now to wait a month and pray to whatever gods may exist that I did well."

"Well only a few more days till we go back to our families..." Reassured Erza. I need a vacation, no doubt.

"Same!" Laughed Lucy. "No offense... You're wonderful too." Lucy clarified.

Erza blushed, though not red enough for Lucy to see. "It's okay, I understand what you meant." She said, careful to avoid sounding flustered. She really liked Lucy, and while she knew Lucy was no homophobe, the thought of her returning those feelings seemed to be a distant wish at best. Lucy'd only ever talked about guys, and seemed to like that pink haired boy from the introductory class they'd taken back in August.

"All I know is, two days from now will involve more packing than any human should ever have to endure." Laughed Lucy, as she got out her laptop and began to aimlessly flit about social media.

"I need people to get this floor decorated!" Shouted Cana, their residential assistant. As she walked down the hall. "Erza and Lucy, how about you two?"

"Well, I guess we know what the rest of today looks like..." Sighed Lucy, as she stood up and reluctantly walked toward the door, with Erza following.

"So, first we need to set up these tiny trees, and then these wreaths need to go on the dorm's doors. Finally, the door frames leading from hall to hall, and into the floor's kitchen need mistletoe." Explained Cana, to the 10 or so students she'd recruited for the project.

"Doesn't the college have janitorial staff for stuff like this?' Asked Levy, one of Lucy's friends, and in the same major.

"They're on strike. So it falls to you losers." Snarked Cana. "As I was saying, we'll split up into two teams. Team one does the wreaths, team two the mistletoe, and I'll do the wreaths, they're the easiest part. Lesse here... Freed, Laxus, Gray, Levy, and Juvia, you work on the trees, and Erza, Lucy, Gadjeel, Laki, and Lisanna, you all work on the mistletoe."

" I find your tone a bit offensive." Lisana protested.

"I find your face offensive." Deadpanned Cana.

"What if we refuse?" Asked Laxus.

"And risk your record? The higher ups handed this one down to me, and going against the university's administrative staff isn't the best of ideas..." Laughed Cana.

"Looks like we're stuck here." Sighed Erza, resigning herself to the project.

"Well it could be worse, we could be forced to clean it up." Said Lucy.

"Damn it Gadjeel, hold the ladder straighter!" Reprimanded Lisanna, as she struggled to stay on, while also trying her damndest to pin the mistletoe to the doorframe.

"It isn't my fault this ladder is a piece of Junk!" Countered Gadjeel, as he tightened his grip on the ladder, trying to keep the young woman from falling on top of him.

"Hence why it's best to do it in threes!" Laughed Laki, as she easily hung a mistletoe over a nearby doorframe with both Erza and Lucy holding the ladder steady.

"Well some of us don't have that luxury." Sighed Gadjeel, as Lisanna made it down, much to both of their reliefs.

"How about this: I'll go with you two for awhile, and Lucy and Erza get it in the shorts?" Offered Laki, with a jocular tone.

"Fair's fair I guess." Agreed Erza, as Laki went over to Gadjeel and Lisanna, as they walked off in the opposite direction as Erza and Lucy.

"How am I doing?" Asked Erza, gingerly holding the ladder, keeping it as stable as she could, as Lucy hung a mistletoe under the kitchen door frame, which happened to be the tallest frame on the whole floor.

"Fine, just keep it up." Reassured Lucy, as she pinned the mistletoe under the hook that she'd previously stuck to the top of the frame. Just then, Erza's grip faltered. "Erza!" Lucy Shouted, as she fell to the ground, with a sizable bruise forming on her arm.

"Well, that'll be the last time they make students do that..." Sighed Polyurisca, one of the doctors that the college employed, as she looked over Lucy's injured arm. "There's no serious damage, just some bruising. Should go back to normal in a few days, put some ice on it and go back to the dorm."

"Well that's a relief." Sighed Lucy. "I wonder how Erza is..." She thought to herself, as she returned from the examination room, and saw her roommate waiting. They didn't say much on the walk back to the dorm. Both were afraid of offending the other after what had happened.

Lucy took a cheap frozen meal down to the kitchen. Since the cafeteria closed on Sunday nights, Lucy found herself using the community microwave often, and that was the case now. As she made her way to the entrance, she noticed none other than Erza standing by the community fridge, an absent-minded look on her face.

"Sorry about earlier." Erza sighed, as she moved toward Lucy, her hand extended in a gesture of peace.

"It's fine, accidents happen. I'm not mad." Lucy assured her roommate, as she shook Erza's hand.

"And hey, you still managed to get that mistletoe up there. That took talent." Laughed Erza, noting the sprig above them.

"More like luck! I still have no idea what I'm doing!" Lucy said, fighting back laughter.

"Well..." Began Erza, her inhibitions fading as the atmosphere turned more and more jocular. "I can't help but compliment you. I'm more than a little interested in you after all!" She declared, and immediately panicked, fearing she'd gone too far.

"Was that serious?" Asked Lucy, hopeful.

"Er, um..." Stammered Erza, not sure what a safe answer would be.

Lucy pulled Erza into a kiss before the latter could answer, and after the two broke from it, they both grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes." Laughed Lucy.

"I thought you liked that Natsu guy, what happened with that?" Asked Erza, later that night in the dorm room, happy, but cautious.

"He got with Lisanna, and I thought it'd be better to let that one go. After awhile, I just sort of figured out I like you. Levy helped me out." Explained Lucy, with a sincere smile.

"Well, I'm sorry for you there, but glad it brought us together..." Muttered Erza.

"You don't have to be sorry, I'm over Natsu." Reassured Lucy.

"Well, despite all the shitty parts, today wasn't bad I guess!" Declared Erza, giving Lucy another kiss.

"I can agree with that!"

A few days later...

"See you next semester!" Declared Erza, as she gave Lucy a parting kiss before climbing into her car and driving off.

"It can't come soon enough." Lucy thought to herself as she watched Erza drive off.


	2. I'll Always be there for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Canon 'verse, Lucy takes care of Erza after a stressful job Pure fluff.

It was 2 P.M. on a Saturday at Erza and Lucy's house. Lucy had decided to stay in that day. Erza had been out on an S-Class job for a few days, and the guild hall was of course a bit... rowdy. Lucy, on the other hand, was trying to work more on her novel. Thus, she'd stayed in the home that she and Erza had moved into one year into their relationship, and was in the middle of a particularly intense scene, when the door was flung open.

"Would knocking hurt?" Deadpanned Lucy, thinking it was Natsu, Gray, or any other guildmate prone to rudely interrupting her.

"I thought living here would give me the privilege to enter unannounced!" Laughed Erza, as Lucy turned around, embarrassed.

"Erza... I'm really sorry..." Sighed Lucy, feeling horrible about herself.

"It's fine, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter." Erza calmly responded, giving Lucy a kiss on the cheek. At this point, Lucy took note of the tired state Erza appeared to be in. Her hair was dirty, and had leaves stuck in it, her armor torn in places, and a good few (thankfully shallow) scratches and dirt across her face and arms.

"Here, lie down on the couch." Directed Lucy, as she handed Erza a blanket.

"Why? I'm fine, insisted Erza, though Lucy could see that wasn't true, she was struggling to stand, her limbs shook from fatigue, and she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Erza, you don't have to act tough around me, I love more than just that side of you, after all." Promised Lucy, as she led Erza by the hand to the couch, and threw the blanket over her girlfriend.

"Thank you..." Erza managed with a sigh.

"Here, I'll get you some tea, and fill up the bathtub." Said Lucy, kissing Erza's forehead and then running into the kitchen to brew the tea.

* * *

Erza inspected the hot drink in front of here. Chamomile, with a bit of strawberry added. Erza felt a bit of relief at that. Little things like this just showed how much Lucy cared about her. She sipped the hot tea for awhile, until Lucy returned.

"Your bath is ready." Announced Lucy, as she took the now-empty cup to wash it, and Erza went into the bathroom.

The tub was filled to the brim, and even crowned with a deluge of bubbles. Erza eagerly exquipped and submerged herself. The water was a perfect temperature, and the soapy bubbles entertained Erza to no end (let no one say that the Titania lacked an inner child). Lucy walked in with a beat up old T-shirt and sweatpants in one hand, and bite-sized strawberry cakes in the other.

"Here, I get the feeling your armor isn't too comfortable to wear around the house. Maybe this'll be good for some time off." Said Lucy, as she set the clothes off to the side, and set the cakes on the vanity. "Virgo made those." Explained Lucy. "I still haven't gotten the hang of strawberry cake..."

"It's the thought that counts." Laughed Erza, as she began to eye the cakes hungrily.

"So, tell me about the job; if you're comfortable with doing that, of course." Lucy muttered, with a sincere smile.

"Sure, I'm not damaged by the memories, if that's what you mean. Roughed up, sure, but only on the outside." Explained Erza.

"Okay, what did that to you anyway?" Laughed Lucy, impressed by Erza's eternal ability to laugh at herself.

"You remember those giant blue flying monsters from Edolas? Well it turns out they're in Earthland too, and in Earthland, they're rather aggressive, untamable, and a huge threat to any humans who happen to get in their path. I found myself facing down about 10 of them, and let's just say we didn't agree. They're dead now, and you've seen me."

"Well, I'm glad you're alive." Lucy Said with a smile, as Erza emerged from the bath, dried herself off, put on the clothes Lucy had set out, and began nibbling on the cakes. It was the best strawberry cake she'd tasted in a long time.

"I think I'll go to bed now, I haven't gotten any sleep in two days..." Sighed Erza, the feeling of comfort starting to give way to just how tired she was.

"All right, I'll get the blinds and move my novel stuff to the living room." Agreed Lucy, as she ran into the bedroom and prepared it for Erza.

* * *

Erza woke up after a long and restful sleep, her dreams had been happy, devoid of the stressful mission she'd recently endured. Erza was alone in bed, and the clock read 10:00 am. She faintly smelled something cooking, and went to the kitchen.

"Oh, you're up." Said Lucy, looking up from a cooking pan she was presently washing. On a tray near the stove was a plate with pancakes drizzled with strawberry syrup, sausages, hash browns, and a tall glass of milk. Erza's favorite breakfast.

"Thank you so much." Said Erza. "You don't have to do this all for me."

"Well you've just gotten back from a really stressful job, you need a break." Reassured Lucy. "I'll take care of you for today too. If you can sleep 18 hours straight because of how much work you've been doing, I think you deserve some time off."

"Thank you..." Sighed Erza, as she kissed Lucy, and began eating the breakfast.

* * *

"Hang on, you missed a bit!" Laughed Lucy, whom, upon noticing a drip of syrup on Erza's face, licked it off, and moved her mouth to Erza's. After they broke from the kiss, Lucy sat down on the chair at the kitchen table adjacent to Erza's. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Not a job, made plenty off of the last one, and I'm ready for a break." Decided Erza.

"Sure, let's do something together." Agreed Lucy.

"I know that Magnolia's fair starts today." Erza noted, as she and Lucy walked out of the house, hand in hand.


	3. Out in the Fields.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, I'll try to get two more done this week besides this one, sorry I keep going so long between updates...
> 
> Notes: AU, Lucy is in the army and on her last tour; Erza has trouble coping. This one I shelved for awhile, so I'm not really sure if it's up to my standards these days...

*BZZZZ* BZZZZ* The alarm clock read 7:00 am as it sounded off, jolting Lucy awake. "Fuck..." She muttered to herself. Today was the day her last tour of duty began; she hated being in the army. Only joined for the free college. She'd graduated two years ago, but she still had one more tour to complete. She just had to survive this. All of this surged through her mind as she put on her uniform and brushed her teeth.

"You have to leave, then?" Asked Erza, emerging from their shared bed and meeting Lucy in the bathroom.

"Yeah, I wish I hadn't joined the army; my younger self was an idiot. I'm just glad I could salvage my life..."

"Well you have me, and I'll be here once you get back, promise." Assured Erza, massaging Lucy's shoulders affectionately.

"And when I get back, I'll never leave again." Promised Lucy, leaning in to kiss Erza's lips, long and passionately. "That's all I'll be getting for six months, better make it last!" Laughed Lucy.

"Next time we kiss, I promise my teeth will be clean!" Quipped Erza.

"I look forward to it!" Finished Lucy, slightly melancholy as she left their shared house for the airport.

* * *

"Why the hell did I do this?" Thought Lucy; if she hadn't joined the army some four years ago, she'd be a happy engineer with a beautiful girlfriend and a safe, quiet life. Sure, she might have had some student loans and such, but to be honest, that seemed much preferable to risking her life in the field. She had too much to live for now. Erza meant the world to her, and going off to a place where she could easily die and never see her again was frightening to say the least...

Flashback: 6 years ago.

"I've made up my mind, I'm joining the army college!" Declared Lucy to her father.

"I'm sorry, I can't recommend that; I feel you will regret it, and I can't honestly feel elated over my daughter putting her life on the line. Still, I recognize your choice. You may leave. I have no way to stop you...

End flashback.

Her father was beyond right; Lucy's first tour after graduating was a disaster. She may have been an engineering undergrad, but thanks to her need for some extra money before her master's degree, she was put into the run of the mill regiments as a private. For Lucy, there was no upside. The barracks were unpleasant, the people unpleasant, and the battles and threats on the base stressful. Thankfully, she was able to return to college for her master's degree, and there she met an MBA student named Erza Scarlet. She'd connected with the beautiful redhead after a relatively short period, where they interacted primarily because their classes were near each other, and both of them tended to get there 10 minutes early. Over time, an attraction developed and the two of them decided to try a date. It went extremely well, and it was only a few months before they moved in together. All in all, Erza was definitely who Lucy would miss most. "I just have to survive this. Then Erza and I can be happy." She thought to herself. as she left her car, entered the hangar, and boarded the plane for the desert.

* * *

"I'll talk to you every day" Erza thought to herself as she left for her own job. It was impossible; Lucy meant so much to her. The thought that that she might die out there was overwhelming. "Six whole months..." She thought to herself, pulling into the office building where she worked as a manager.

* * *

Lucy sat in the barracks, miserable. The only thing keeping her sane was the photo she had of Erza, which was always tucked in her uniform, except for when she had downtime and felt homesick.

"Who's that a picture of ?" Asked Levy, her bunkmate of sorts.

"She's my girlfriend, I miss her so much..." Explained Lucy, a bit distracted by her own sorrow.

"I know the feeling, my boyfriend is waiting for me back home. He's a blues guitarist, though he's not that good at it..." Said Levy, in a show of solidarity.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't panic and try to make the chaplain chastise me." Sighed Lucy, more than a little relief in her.

"Nah, I'm not an asshole, or at least not that kind of asshole!" Laughed Levy.

"Thanks, and hey, progress. Ten years ago, I couldn't have joined the army at all, so there's that."

"True enough, but sorry about you being so homesick and all." Levy said.

"Yeah, I should sleep on it..." Decided Lucy, as she retired for the night.

* * *

2 Months Later.

Erza left Victoria's Secret having purchased a little something for when Lucy returned. Before anything else though, a beautiful, fitting, and suddenly quite urgent idea crossed her mind while walking through that mall as she passed a jewelry store, which she rushed into without a second thought. "I'm looking for an engagement ring!" She said, almost on autopilot.

"Certainly." Said the cashier, a woman in a red dress with long white hair, green eyes, and a nametag that read "Mirajane. "Though I don't hear that request from a woman often."

"Well, I'm proposing to, well... A girl, she's coming home from the army in four months." Explained Erza, bracing herself for the worst.

"That's fine by me, I may not hear that often, but I don't mind when I do. My wife had to shop for a ring for me, after all!" Mirajane answered.

"All right, what to buy?" Erza wondered aloud while she was browsing the display case, and settled on a black gold ring with a green stone. "This one." Erza said, pointing to the ring.

"Excellent choice, certainly a bit offbeat. I'm sure your girlfriend is just as unique." Mirajane commented with a smile as she removed it from the case and accepted Erza's credit card.

* * *

"Shit! We drove straight over a goddamn mine!" Shouted Levy, noting the device directly under the armored convoy. Fortunately, they'd been going slowly and the convoy was able to stop before the mine detonated. "Get Bisca in here!" Ordered Sherry, their commanding officer. A green-haired woman emerged from the vehicle and inspected the mine. "Give me 15 minutes, I;ll have it defused." She assessed working her magic on the roadside bomb. and within the 5 minutes, managed to disarm it. Lucy sighed with an overpowering sense of relief as the convoy drove off. No damage done, but soon faded,remembering that they were still in a war. There would most certainly be fighting; maybe not today, but soon enough.

* * *

3 1/2 Months Later.

"It's been lonely here without you, I don't think I can take it much longer..." Sighed Erza, speaking to Lucy via Skype.

"It's only two more weeks, I'll be back with you before either of us knows it, and I already know exactly what I want to do when I get there!" Lucy declared, with a suggestive grin.

"Me too! And I have a little surprise for you when the time comes." Answered Erza.

"Sounds great, but I have to leave for now, bye!" Lucy ended the chat.

Erza was conflicted; seeing Lucy made her six month absence form her life both better and worse. She could see and hear her girlfriend, but of course her other three senses were left out in the cold...

* * *

The bullets flew past Lucy's face, erupting from all around her; the field had little cover, so it was terrifyingly easy to be hit with a bullet form anywhere on the battlefield. To make matters worse, one was no safer anywhere on the field than anywhere else. She had no way of knowing where to avoid the enemy fire. "Shit!" She thought as she saw her photo of Erza flit away from her. Lucy ducked for cover as she ran towards the photo on the ground, grabbed it, and was thrust forward by pure, hot force.

* * *

"Ma'm?" A soft voice rand out. Lucy opened her eyes to an army infirmary, and a blue haired doctor wearing a nametag that read "Wendy Marvel."

"What happened?" Inquired Lucy, beginning to feel a slight soreness in her back.

"A rocket went off a few yards from your position. It inflicted slight laceration and 2nd degree burns on your back, you are expected to make a full recovery, and to leave within two days with an honorable discharge."

"Thank you for saving me." Lucy said with a big smile, her hope to see Erza again rising.

"One more thing, does this hold any significance to you?" Asked Wend, holding up a no-longer recognizable photograph, nearly melted and any image it once held thoroughly warped beyond recognition. "We found it on your person, should I keep it for you?"

"Um, yes!" Gasped Lucy. In a way, Erza had saved her life.

* * *

Erza felt dead inside. Ever since she'd gotten the news that Lucy was missing and presumed dead, she couldn't do much of anything. Her email was unread, her mailbox stuffed to the brim. She didn't have to work because it was around the holidays, but she didn't know what she'd do when the time came to return. At the moment, all she could think about was her loss, the woman she loved, whom she wanted to marry, was gone forever. Never again would she feel her touch, her kiss. Never again would she hear Lucy's soft voice and her riveting conversation. Never again would she see her love's beautiful smile. Never again would- Erza was snapped from her musings by a familiar tap on her shoulder.

"I'm home, beautiful." Whispered Lucy, into Erza's ear.

"Lucy! You're alive!" Cheered Erza, her eyes watering at the sight before her and taking Lucy's lips into hers.

"Barely, they almost got me, your picture saved me." Explained Lucy as Erza sat her down on the couch and huddled up next to her.

"Hm?" Asked Erza, confused at Lucy's statement.

"I have a picture of you in my uniform. It fell out in the field, and when I went to pick it up, I walked away from an explosion, far enough to save my life." Lucy explained with a laugh, as she stole a kiss from Erza. "What was your surprise, by the way?" Lucy asked, after breaking from the kiss.

Erza blushed. She'd almost forgotten in her sorrow, but she'd kept the ring in her pocket to remember Lucy by, and by happy coincidence, had her hand over it at the time. "Well, while you were gone, I gave it some thought and I'm confident you're the one for me, so I bought this." She said, taking the ring from her pocket and showing it to Lucy, who was speechless at first, but began to form her excited response.

"YES! THERE'S NOTHING I'D LOVE MORE!" Answered Lucy, allowing Erza to slide it on her finger.

"Now, how about we do what we've both been wanting to for 6 months?" Asked Erza, picking up her love and wife to be and carrying her to the bedroom, grabbing the Victoria's Secret bag on the way there.

"Sounds perfect." Agreed Lucy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sorry if anyone sees this as critical of the concept of a military. I mean no such thing. Lucy is simply regretting her personal decision, not criticizing the concept of a soldier, I apologize for any offense.


	4. Asuka has two Aunties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, here's another one.
> 
> Notes: Canon 'Verse, Alzack and Bisca go on a job together, and decide to have Erza and Lucy look after Asuka. The results are... Stressful.

 

"Good morning Lucy." Said Erza, giving her wife a smile and a kiss as she left the bed and requipped into her day to day clothes.

"Good morning..." Sighed Lucy, in no way ready for the coming day.

"Wake up, you can't sleep forever." Quipped Erza, as she pulled the blanket away from Lucy, in a playful gesture to get her up.

"Fiiiiiine!" Laughed Lucy, as she sprung up, and went into the bathroom to prepare for the day.

"What are we thinking of doing today?" Erza wondered aloud.

"Well we have enough rent for this month, so let's take some time off." Decided Lucy.

"Good plan, maybe go to the open market, maybe buy a little something to hang on the wall?"

"Sounds great." Agreed Lucy, leaning in to kiss Erza.

* * *

"Okay, now to go to the guild and make sure no one needs us there today." Said Erza, as she and Lucy left their house hand in hand.

"Hey! Erza and Lucy!" Shouted Bisca, seeing them enter the guild hall.

"Yes Bisca?" Asked Erza, ready to help her friend, even though she figured it would end unpleasantly.

"Well, Alzack and I are hoping to go on a job together. It'll be the first we've done together since Asuka was born, and we need someone to look after her, are you two able to?"

"Well..." Began Lucy.

"We'd love to." Interjected Erza, as Asuka emerged from behind her mother.

"Aunt Erza! Aunt Lucy!" Shouted Asuka, as she ran towards her adoptive aunts.

"Erm, we'll make sure she stays out of trouble..." Managed Lucy, still hesitant.

"Good, we'll be back tomorrow morning." Said Bisca, as she and Alzack left the hall together, leaving their daughter with Erza and Lucy.

* * *

"Did we have to do this?" Lucy whispered to Erza as they walked to the marketplace, with Asuka rushing ahead in wonder.

"Alzack and Bisca are our friends." Reprimanded Erza. "And I thought you got along fine with Asuka."

"Well that's when I don't have to live with her, you know I don't want to look after any kids." Retorted Lucy.

"Aunt Lucy, where are we going?" Asked Asuka.

"Well, we're going to a marketplace. Your aunt Erza and I want a bit of wall art." Explained Lucy, putting on the bravest face she could.

"Oh, will there be any toys there?" Asked Asuka.

"Probably." Sighed Lucy, as she upped her pace to keep up with Asuka's running.

* * *

"Okay, now Asuka, stay with us and we'll buy you a toy." Said Erza, as she led the now winded girl by the hand.

"Sure." Sighed Asuka, now trailing Erza and Lucy by a few feet.

"Okay, what interests you?" Asked Erza, motioning to Lucy to choose a stand.

"Well, there's that one right there..." Thought Lucy, as she led Erza to the stand, while Asuka was distracted by a certain toy vendor.

* * *

"How about this one?" Lucy asked Erza, showing her wife a painting of a dragon hovering over a castle.

"It's nice, what do you think, Asuka? Asuka?" Erza panicked, as she noted Asuka at a nearby toy booth, initially relieving her, but turning again to panic when she noticed that the toy Asuka was reaching for was precariously placed on a shelf with several pieces over it. Her efforts went predictably, and soon Asuka had sent several toys to the ground, breaking most of them.

"We're very sorry." Gasped Lucy, running over to the booth.

"It's fine, so long as you can pay for the damage." Sighed the cashier.

"Right here." Sighed Erza, as she requipped a wallet with which to pay the damages.

* * *

"Well, it's about lunch time." Noted Lucy, looking at the clock tower, as they left the market.

"Good, I was starting to get a bit hungry." Agreed Erza, with a smile. "Where did you want to eat?"

"Well I hear there was a new place that served Desertian food, maybe that'll be worth trying out...

"I want a hamburger!" Declared Asuka, not as a request, but as a demand.

"But we've already had burgers this week." Said Lucy, frustrated.

"I want a hamburger!" Asuka repeated, more forcefully.

"We'll have burgers tonight." Promised Erza.

"I WANT A HAMBURGER!" Asuka's eyes were tearing up.

"What choice do we really have?" Sighed Lucy.

* * *

"Well, that didn't go as planned." Sighed Erza, as Lucy held Asuka in place as Erza did her best to sop up the ketchup that Asuka had spilled all over her face. Asuka was less than willing to have said ketchup removed from her face.

"But I was... um, saving that..." Asuka protested.

"We have ketchup at home." Sighed Lucy, thoroughly fed up with Asuka.

"Well, we'd better go back home." Erza said, breathing heavily. She'd need a lot of sleep that night.

* * *

"Asuka..." Sighed Lucy, looking at the mass of towels and toothpaste on the floor of the bathroom, with Asuka in the center.

"Well I didn't try to do this..." Asuka muttered, a guilty, nervous smile on her face.

Lucy sat in a corner of the room, a frustrated look on her face, thoroughly defeated by Asuka's antics.

"Why are you so sad, aunt Lucy?" Asked Asuka, looking a bit sad herself.

"It's okay... Just go to bed." Lucy sighed.

"Okay." Asuka said, still downcast, as she went down to the guest room in the basement of Erza and Lucy's house.

* * *

"Well, that's all of it..." Said Erza, as she put the towels in the washing machine, and turned it on. "Now, I need some goddamn sleep..."

"Seconded." Agreed Lucy. "Asuka's a bit of a pain in the ass."

* * *

"Why did I do all those things!?" Asuka sobbed. She couldn't sleep. She needed to make it up to her aunts somehow, and there was only one way he knew how. She walked over to the desk, found a sheet of paper, some markers, and set to work making a rudimentary but heartfelt card of apology. "All right! Done!" Declared Asuka, to no one in particular, as she laid it down on the table, and went to sleep.

* * *

"I'm really sorry about this." Erza acquiesced. "I know we've talked about it before..."

"And now do you see why I don't want kids?" Asked Lucy, slightly critical, but also a bit playful.

"I know; kids can be a bit... Stressful."

"A bit?"

"Fine, very stressful, but I still can't help but think the rewards outweigh all of that." Finished Erza.

"What rewards, all Asuka's done all day is cost us money and given us more gray hairs." Retorted Lucy.

"Well, she, er, she..." Stammered Erza.

"See?" Remarked Lucy.

"Ah well, we'll have this discussion when we're both awake and well rested, decided Erza.

* * *

"Asuka! We're back!" Declared Alzack, as he and Bisca came into Erza and Lucy's house, and noted Asuka eating a bowl of cereal at the kitchen table.

"Mommy and daddy!" Declared Asuka, as she ran over to them.

"Did you have fun while we were gone?" Asked Bisca, picking up her daughter.

"Yep! Even though I was a pain to aunt Lucy and aunt Erza." Asuka sighed, remembering what she'd done.

"Oh?" Asked Alzack.

"Asuka was... Trying." Erza said, as she and Lucy emerged from the laundry room.

"Oh, I'm sorry, how much did she cost you?" Asked Bisca, in a slightly annoyed tone.

"7000 Jewels." Sighed Lucy.

"Okay, here you go..." Muttered Alzack, taking some money out of the bag that held his and Bisca's reward.

"Now Asuka, I'm not pleased with you." Said Bisca, her voice positively icy.

"Erm..." Began Asuka.

"We'll talk about it when we get home." Ordered Bisca, as she and Alzack left the house, Asuka in tow.

* * *

"Hm, Asuka must have forgotten this." Noted Erza, as she saw the card Asuka had made. "Dear Aunt Lucy and Aunt Erza, I'm sorry for being so mean..." Lucy! Look at this!" She called out, to which Lucy came to Erza's side to see the card.

"How sweet... I'm almost starting to see the rewards of kids." Sighed Lucy, with a contented smile.

"Well, don't get that fuzzy feeling just yet..." Muttered Erza, as she took a closer look at the guest room desk, which was now covered in stains from the markers that Asuka had used in her project.

"Now we're gonna have to clean it!" Shouted Lucy, indignant.

"I take it back, I never want kids." Declared Erza.

"Agreed." Said Lucy.


	5. Under a Violet Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one for awhile yet, so here you go!
> 
> Notes: Medieval AU, Erza is a woman disguised as a man to serve as a knight, Lucy is a nobleman's daughter set to marry the knight victorious in tournament. Takes place loosely in the 1200s, somewhere in England. Note that Erza is called Esdras by those who don't know her secret. Also note that Erza's haircut is the same as Knightwalker's by the end of the Edolas arc (in medieval times, a haircut of that length was considered fairly normal for a man).

"Hear ye! Hear ye! The tournament for the hand of Lady Lucy Heartfilia in marriage shall be held on this day, the first of July, the day of her nineteenth season! Declared Lord Jude's town crier, a short fellow with blue hair whose name no one knew. All simply called him "Happy" for his upbeat disposition.

"Hm... Esdras, have you considered entering? A wife might be good for you, and of course you'll want heirs." Said Sir Gildarts, a fiery red-haired fellow known for his rage on the battlefield, and his kindness everywhere else.

Erza gave it a bit of thought; the masquerade was hard enough as it was, and a wife would figure her out easily, but on the other hand, it might get more suspicious if she didn't marry. The thought of anyone who wasn't married was a strange one, and someone of noble birth would stick out like a sore thumb. Besides, women were more to Erza's liking anyways. "Sure, I'll enter; Crier? Where might a knight enter this tournament?" She asked Happy.

"Well sir, Lord Jude's castle is just ahead on this road, follow it, and you'll be there, just talk to the guards outside, state your intent, and Jude will decide whether to let you enter." Explained Happy, every cheerfully.

"Well Esdras, you haven't jousted in a tournament in quite some time, let's see if your skill has stuck." Offered Gildarts.

"Indeed." Resolved Erza, simultaneously hopeful and fearful.

* * *

"Well, here's hoping that this lady will be open to the knight before her being a woman." Thought Erza, remembering her own past. Erza was born the daughter of another noble family, the Scarlets. She was the only child born before her mother died, and her father insisted she be married off as quickly as possible. Erza herself had other plans. She refused to marry a man, much less one she had never met, and instead dreamed of becoming a knight. When she was to be sent away to the Fernandes family's castle, she ran away, cut her hair, and reinvented herself as Esdras, a refugee prince from a fictitious pocket of Christendom in Spain, who had run away to England as enemy forces closed in on his alleged kingdom. As 'Esdras' spread this story, Sir Gildarts, a legendary aged knight who'd fought in the last Crusade took her in and taught her the art of knighthood. Erza learned well, and was fast becoming a knight of renown in England. The feeling was exhilarating, but retaining the masquerade was always stressful. With some luck, marrying this lady would make this masquerade easier.

"Who goes there?" Demanded the captain of the castle's garrison.

"I am Sir Gildarts, former Crusader and reputed knight for the English Crown, my ward is Sir Esdras, refugee from the kingdom of Saint James in Spain, and also a knight in the service of the king." Explained Gildarts. "Esdras intends to enter the tournament for the hand of the castle's heiress, which I do understand is being held on this day."

"Ah, Sir Gildarts, I know of your deeds, and a knight whom you vouch for is a worthy one indeed. I'll send for Lord Jude."

* * *

"Well, this Sir Esdras seems like a worthy knight, perhaps not renowned yet, but he will certainly gain the accolades the other competitors have, and with the backing of such a stout fighter as you, Sir Gildarts, I have no doubt that this Esdras will more than hold his own on this day, he may fight, and now that there are eight worthy knights in contention for my daughter's hand, the time to commence the tournament is upon us." Declared Jude.

"Esdras, make any preparations you must, and find your way to the jousting pitch." Ordered Gildarts. "The joust will begin shortly."

* * *

Lucy paced across the garden, her nervousness making her perspire in the July sun. Today was the day her father selected a husband for her. Her wits and learned disposition, coupled with her father's genuine care for her had delayed the day, but here on her nineteenth birthday, those days were over. In a few short hours, her fate would be decided by eight noble knights jousting for her hand. Of course, she had no way of knowing such things as whether this man would love her, how she would be treated in her new circumstance, or even where she would then live. This, of course, was the cause of her stress. "I just hope I can be let into this lord's library." Lucy thought to herself, trying to find small comfort. After all, reading of the many legends and accounts of the fantastic beasts and lands beyond her own was her greatest joy. She'd read of creatures such as unicorns in the bestiaries, and in the travelogues she'd read of places such as China and India, where Alexander the Great was said to have once reached millenia ago...

"My lady! The tournament has begun, your father has requested your presence to watch the proceedings." Announced Levy, one of the ladies in waiting that Lucy's mother had hired, and had continued serving Lucy after their first employer's death.

"Oh, yes! I'll come at once." Conceded Lucy, as she followed Levy to the jousting pitch and took her seat on the covered portion reserved for her and her father.

"Excellent Lucy, you're here." Said Jude, with a warm smile. "Now, to you eight knights, best of luck in winning my daughter's hand. You shall abide by all the rules of jousting. You are to mount your horses and charge at each other, and continue to do so until one of you is forced off of your horse, that simple. Now, let us show the crowd the combatants today. Come forward: Sir Jellal."

A blue haired knight came forward, and gave a charming yet fake-looking smile to the crowd, who erupted into a reasonable amount of cheers. Lucy didn't like the looks of him, his smile betrayed more than a little malice.

"Sir Gray." A knight with short black hair came forward, looking indifferent. The crowd gave him a fair amount of applause. Lucy thought he seemed alright, but perhaps not an ideal knight.

"Sir Natsu." A pink haired knight came forward, a wild look in his eyes. The crowd went wild at his mention, and he basked in the attention. Lucy didn't like him. Too wild, not enough stability. She could tell he'd never be a stable lord, which could mean the difference between a long and quiet life and death at the hands of a rival lord.

"Sir Gadjeel." A long haired knight came forward, with a perpetual scowl that seemed to pierce into the soul. He received a fair amount of applause, but many in the crowd were nervous. Lucy thought he had the opposite problem as Natsu. He was too driven, too forceful. She'd have no freedom as his wife.

"Sir Laxus." A blonde knight came forward looking extremely cocky. He received a good bit of applause. Lucy found him interesting, she wouldn't mind marrying him, she guessed.

"Sir Freed." A green haired knight came forward looking complacent and staring off into space. He received only a few cheers. Lucy didn't know how, but she guessed he wasn't too interested in her or any other maiden.

"Sir Leo." A man with neat orange hair came forward, looking confident, but also slightly off kilter. He received a good bit of applause. Lucy found him rather appealing. He'd be a good victor.

"And last but not least, Sir Esdras." Erza came forward, and submitted herself to the judgment of the crowd.

"Never mind." Lucy thought to herself, in reference to Leo. Of all the knights there, she could tell that this Esdras would be the greatest among them.

"And so, the tournament will begin. Sir Jellal, as you hold seniority, you are allowed to choose your opponent first." Announced Jude.

"And so, I challenge the newcomer, Sir Esdras." Declared Jellal, a confident smile on his face as he equipped his helmet.

"Very well, the first joust shall be Sir Jellal against Sir Esdras!"

"Now, to see the newcomer fall and the glory come to me." Jellal thought to himself, smugly.

"He's... The man I was to marry..." Erza silently gasped, as she moved into position, her anger giving her more resolve.

The two combatants charged at each other, lances forward, shields covering their chain mail, and met in the center of the pitch. It was over in Jellal was wrenched from his horse by a quick twist of Erza's lance around her opponent's shield.

"Sir Esdras is victorious!" Announced Jude.

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, her chosen champion had already won a match, and against one of the favorites to win no less.

* * *

The first round progressed smoothly, and the ranks were soon reduced to four contenders: Laxus, Natsu, Leo, and Esdras. In preparation for the second round, a short recess was taken.

"Lucy, how was the first round?" Asked Jude.

"Excelent, both of my favorites advanced." Responded Lucy.

"And which two suitors are they?" Inquired Jude.

"Sir Esdras and Sir Leo." Answered Lucy, truthfully.

"Hm, both excellent warriors, you'd do well to wed either, although we should see which, if either, proves superior." Jude commented, with a smile, before ordering the bell be sounded to signify the beginning of the second round.

* * *

"Now, as the senior knight, Sir Leo will choose his opponent first." Announced Jude.

"I challenge Sir Natsu." Declared Leo. And so, the pink haired knight donned his helmet, and prepared to battle Leo.

"Now, this shall be a simple matter." Thought Leo, as he leveled his lance.

"Come on and try me!" Natsu thought, as he did the same, and the two charged at each other. Both missed. The two turned around and once again charged across the pitch. The two met once again, and this time, both hit, and faltered, the two started slipping. Natsu regained his balance, but Leo fell from the horse.

"Sir Natsu is victorious." Declared Jude.

Lucy sighed with vague displeasure. One of her two choices had lost. At least Sir Esdras remained.

"Sir Esdras and Sir Laxus, are both of you prepared?" Asked Jude. Both affirmed that they were, and they mounted their respective horses. The two charged at each other, both hit, and both were blocked. They clashed again, same result. A third time, this exchange turned the tide. Erza made her play, taking a risky shot at an awkward angle, which paid off, Erza hit Laxus straight in the breastplate, sending him from his horse.

"Sir Esdras is victorious. Now for the final joust: Sir Esdras against Sir Natsu." Said Jude, becoming more excited as the final round approached.

"Well, Sir Esdras is only one victory away..." Lucy thought to herself, glad that she had a good chance.

* * *

"Now, with your injuries tended to, the final round commences!" Announced Jude, as the two combatants assumed their places.

"Now, Lady Lucy's hand is as good as mine!" Thought Natsu in his hand.

"He may be the best opponent I'll have faced this tournament." Thought Erza, assuming a more cautious stance.

The two of them charged, and while neither hit the other, Natsu's lance grazed Erza's horse, spooking it, and causing the steed to rear up, throwing Erza off balance. She was teetering on the edge of the saddle. Lucy cringed. It seemed all over. Esdras was to lose the tournament, and she would be forced to wed Natsu. Then, almost too quick to see, Erza gripped the reigns more tightly, and brought her horse back under her control. She rode into position for another clash, but this time leaned heavily away from her opponent. Gasps erupted from the crowd. How did Esdras expect to hit Natsu from there? Still, the clash went on, and at the last minute, Erza sprung into the saddle, and stabbed at the exposed side of Natsu's armor. The plan worked flawlessly, Sir Natsu was wrenched from his horse, and Erza stood victorious.

"Sir Esdras is the victor of the tournament, and he will wed Lady Lucy!" Declared Jude. "Father Makarov, our estate priest is ready and the ceremony will be ready within a few hours.

Lucy was content. Of all the suitors, she felt most confident in this Esdras, just something within told her that this knight would make a fine husband, and now she was at least looking forward to being married.

"Well Lucy, it seems you have quite the eye for skilled knights." Noted Jude, with an affectionate smile.

"I'm just happy the winner would have been my first choice." Answered Lucy.

"Well, you'll have time enough to get to know him in a short while. There is a ball planned for after the wedding." Explained Jude.

"Excellent." Said Lucy.

* * *

The wedding passed without incident, and the ball began with a rousing company of minstrels Jude had hired months before, and had kept as entertainment in the interim, playing a vibrant dance that the many guests began to dance to.

"Sir Gildarts has informed me of your circumstance. Know that you are now lord of all my land; it was time I retired." Jude told Erza, seeing her emerge with Lucy, the two hand in hand.

"Thank you sir." Said Erza, as she took Lucy to the center, where many danced, and began dancing with her, all the while conversing.

"I understand that your mentor is the venerable Sir Gildarts." Said Lucy.

"Indeed, he's as good a teacher as a soldier, as you saw today." Erza affirmed with a smile. "And I was not aware you knew of the knights in the kingdom."

"I'm a rather learned woman, not at all the sheltered lady you thought you married..." Muttered Lucy, hoping that didn't complicated things.

"I couldn't hear a better bit of news." Responded Erza, with a smile.

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm quite knowledgeable of what lies beyond the Holy Land, if that interests you."

"Very much so, Sir Gildarts has told me of great conquerors beyond Jerusalem, and the kingdom of the Prester John, said to be somewhere in India.

"I know of all those things. Our library is stocked well with such matters, at my request."

"Excellent, I see we'll have much to talk about." Erza noted, as she pulled Lucy into a kiss. During the kiss though, Lucy noticed that Esdras looked oddly feminine. No stubble to be found, a smaller head, and maybe it was his longer hair, but Esdras could easily pass as a woman if need be. No matter, Lucy was happily married, and that was what mattered.

* * *

The ball lasted several more hours, until the band of minstrels grew tired and the guests retired for the evening.

"Well, I suppose the time has come to perform our duty as husband and wife, noted Lucy, with a sincere smile."

"Yes indeed." Muttered Erza, feeling conflicted. She would very much like to, but doing so would reveal herself as a woman.

"Esdras!" Gildarts shouted from across the room.

"Yes?" Asked Erza, turning to meet her mentor.

"Well, seeing as you now have duties as a lord, I feel it is time we part ways. I am sorry, but of course I have duties as a lord myself, and I must return to my own wife, family, and people. I will try to visit your castle on one feast day or other. Know that I am proud of you; you are my finest protege."

"Thank you, Sir Gildarts." Erza said, before leaving with Lucy to the latter's bedchamber.

* * *

"Esdras, why are there bandages on your chest?" Lucy asked as she noticed Erza take off her shirt, and noted the oddity of her chest being obscured.

"Well, during my escape from Spain, I was grazed by a spear, and I bandage my chest to keep the wound from being opened ever again." Erza quickly explained; after all, she'd prepared such a response should she ever need it.

"You're lying." Said Lucy with no hesitation. "Your breathing pattern changed, and you wouldn't look me in the eye. I'd guess you're actually a woman, and disguise yourself so you can be a knight, I also think you have something in common with a certain poetess..."

Erza sighed. "You found me out. Guilty on all counts. I'm not Prince Esdras of Saint James' kingdom, nor is there any such kingdom. I am Erza Scarlet, a former heiress who wished to be a knight. I prefer the company of other women, and thus I posed as a man in hopes of advancing myself. I didn't think as far ahead as getting married... And what poetess?"

"That refers to Sappho, quite the poet I might add." Explained Lucy. "I like women as well as men, and I think you'll be a fantastic wife. Don't worry. Your secret is absolutely safe with me and my ladies in waiting." She added.

"Well, that's certainly a relief, but what of an heir?" Asked Erza.

"I'll have a servant find an orphaned infant, and then I'll stay in my private apartments for several months, under the pretense that I'd become ill after giving birth. Our so-called child will be revealed when that period of rest is passed."

"Sounds equally imbecilic and brilliant..." Sighed Erza. "And seeing as I have no other plan, why not?"

"Well, now that that's out of the way, how about we fulfill our so-called duty?" Asked Lucy, beginning to untie the bandages around Erza's chest.

"I'd love to." Responded Erza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in case I didn't make it as clear as I could have, Erza is not meant to be read as a transgender man in this chapter. I wrote her as a cisgender woman disguising herself as a man to fill a traditionally male role in her society. That said, I may end up writing an AU where either Erza or Lucy is transgender if I get an idea for one. Also, I'm sorry if using two names for Erza, alternating between calling her Erza and Esdras, was confusing for anyone. If so, tell me, and I'll try to improve. Furthermore, I do realize the unfortunate implications of trivializing the Crusades and the discussion of Spain. I simply believe in tying characters to their cultural context and not shying away from some of the more unfortunate aspects. Simply put, nobles in 11th century England would have regarded the Crusades as glorious and right, and would have held at least slight prejudice against Spain's Muslim rulers, even if those nobles liked the same gender. Also, this is the longest chapter yet in the collection. I tend to keep them short and sweet, but this one kind of needed to be longer to work. Which do you guys prefer?


	6. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon 'Verse, Erza and Lucy talk for the first time in a year, cute awkwardness ensues.

"Avatar is no more." Sighed Gray, as the newly reunited Team Natsu left the smoldering ruins that once housed Avatar's base of operations. "No thanks to a certain flame headed idiot..."

"Hey freezer boy, at least I didn't have to invade them and almost kill my friends!" Retorted Natsu, a disapproving look on his face.

"Care to repeat that?" Demanded Gray, preparing to attack Natsu.

"Maybe I do!" Declared Natsu, himself assuming a fighting stance.

"Stop. Both of you." Ordered Erza, a steely and cold gaze in her eyes.

"Y-yes ma'm." Both agreed.

"Some things never change..." Sighed Lucy, cracking a smile, glad to have the team together again, but more glad to have Erza back than anything else. No denying it, Lucy had a thing for her red-haired teammate, and why wouldn't she? Erza was everything Lucy could want; smart, brave, noble, and of course beautiful. She may have been a bit rough around the edges, but no worse (in fact, better) than Natsu was... All in all, Erza was the one she'd missed most over that year, and having her back was the best feeling she'd had in awhile.

"Where did Gajeel and Levy go?" Wondered Happy, as he flew around looking for the two of them.

"Well they're probably at some Rune Knights installation near here." Said Gray. "If we want to recruit them, that's where we'll find them."

"Be that the case, we should figure out where that is and make our way there pretty quickly." Decided Erza, noting the fact that the two would likely be redeployed somewhere else in the near future.

"Okay, but where is the nearest base?" Asked Lucy.

"Shit..." Muttered the other team members, all sweatdropping at once.

"We need to find out I guess..." Decided Gray, as he walked vaguely in the direction of what looked like a town.

* * *

"Where might the nearest Rune Knight base be?" Asked Gray at the counter of the town's local inn.

"Not far from here, maybe five miles north, shouldn't be too hard to find. Visiting hours ended about 10 minutes ago, so you'll probably want to stay here tonight, and go there tomorrow." The innkeeper explained.

"We know a commander." Explained Gray.

"Be my guest and try..."

"Come on guys! Let's do this now." Agreed Natsu.

"Yeah. I need some rest." Decided Lucy.

"I'm with Lucy." Said Erza, as she went up to the desk, requipping a pouch of jewels and ready to negotiate the price of a room.

"Whatever..." Sighed Natsu and Gray, as they left in pursuit of Gajeel and Levy."

* * *

"I do hope those two don't end up killing each other..." Sighed Lucy, as she and Erza settled into the average-sized room with two beds, a small bathroom, and an old worn out TV.

"Don't worry, they know full well I'll kick the shit out of the winner." Laughed Erza, flopping on the bed she'd chosen to be hers.

"Where did Happy go, by the way?" Wondered Lucy.

"He probably followed the other idiots; he'll show up sooner or later." Muttered Erza.

"True." Agreed Lucy. That only made sense.

"So, how was your year?" Asked Lucy, eager to talk more to the knight mage.

"Well, I tried running with Jellal for awhile, but we... didn't work out. He's not the best lover..." Explained Erza.

"Is he really that dull?" Laughed Lucy, hoping to get some juicy info. All the more to share with Levy and Mirajane, after they found the latter.

"Heh, well yeah. He's got something of a one track mind. He didn't have time for any fun. Always had to make everything somber and all that." Explained Erza. "Plus, the more I was with him, the more I realized I'm just not feeling guys. I guess you could say there's no spark."

"So are you gay?" Asked Lucy, immediately regretting it for how invasive it sounded.

"That's what I think now, I've felt a lot for girls I've met over the past year, but Gray and I were too busy for that to go anywhere." Explained Erza.

"So you weren't mad that I asked?" Lucy breathed a sigh of relief.

"No..." Muttered Erza. "You're a good friend, I trust you with these kinds of things." She concluded.

"Well, thanks for that." Lucy said with a smile.

"By the way, how was your year?"

"Well, Sorcerer Weekly was glad to have me on as a reporter, so I made a good living off of that, and hey, I was still writing, so there was that." Explained Lucy.

"That sounds nice, did you get to cover anything big?"

"Everything big! Up to and including the Grand Magic Games!" Laughed Lucy, really getting into the conversation.

"I suppose you're happy to see all of us again, but Natsu most..." Erza sighed, with a bit of sadness.

"Hey, now I didn't say that!" Responded Lucy, a bit taken aback.

"If that's the case, then who or what from the guild did you miss most?" Asked Erza, trying to avoid making Lucy angry.

Lucy hesitated for a second; was this her chance to confess to Erza? Would she get another chance? Hell, she knew Erza liked girls, so maybe this was the moment she was waiting for. Ultimately, she decided that, having nothing to lose, she may as well say it here. "Erza, I missed... You the most. You mean so much to me. You're funny and brave and... I just want to say I really like you..." She stammered out, thoroughly red in the face. Lucy shut her eyes, too embarrassed to see Erza's reaction.

Lucy then felt a pair of lips meet hers and gradually open as Lucy's did in response, turning it into a full on french kiss. "Thanks for saying it." Said Erza, a sincere smile dotting her face as she broke from the kiss, Lucy's eyes opening to see her. "You know, I missed you most myself. If you hadn't said anything, I would've had to, and yours would have been high art next to my confession." She finished with a laugh, and proceeded to kiss Lucy again, sitting back on the bed with Lucy on her lap.

* * *

"I can't fucking believe it!" Groaned Natsu, as he, Gray, and Happy trudged back into the inn.

"Gajeel can't see us because of the goddamn rules, why can't you accept that?" Sighed Gray, giving Natsu a whack on the head.

"Well now we have to sleep, and who has time for that!?" Shouted Natsu.

"Everyone..." Groaned Gray, getting increasingly annoyed at his pink haired ally.

"Well Let's see if Erza and Lucy got four beds for all of us if you're gonna be like that!" Shouted Natsu, as he and Happy perked up and ran up to the inn's second floor.

"Heeeeelllllooooooo! Erza and Lu-" Natsu stopped short.

"Oi, what's got you-" Gray was also cut off, as he also noticed Erza and Lucy making out.

"Did you idiots fail?" Asked Lucy, breaking from her kisses with Erza long enough to talk.

"Yeah... We'll talk about it later." Sighed Natsu, as he and Gray left the room, feeling awkward for how they'd interrupted their friends' moment."

"Natsu and Gray looked really embarrassed..." Noted Erza, slightly worried about their teammates.

"Well yeah, but hey, that was only half as awkward as anything else that's happened tonight..." Quipped Lucy.

"True enough." Agreed Erza, as both women burst into laughter.


	7. Love Will Prevail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU, Erza is a(n) LGBTQ rights activist, Lucy is a highly traditional evangelist with a bad case of repressed sexuality, and the two are well known as rivals by the media. They manage to be trapped in the same elevator for a few hours, and let's just say one of them is forced to reexamine their life. I've been kicking this idea around for awhile, but given current events, this seems like a good time to do this one.

"Well, with the case in the Supreme Court as we speak, the issue of marriage rights for same sex couples is a relevant one to say the least. Joining us on today's broadcast are two activists with conflicting views to discuss the moral aspects of the issue, this and more after the break, all on the Solid Script Report with Levy Macgarden." Announced Levy, as the cameras stopped rolling and the commercials began. Today would be interesting, no doubt about it. It wasn't every day she needed to separate the guests for fear that their argument would drown out the show, but this was how it was today; her guests were some of the most impassioned people in the nation, working tirelessly in the opposite directions. She only had to wonder what the actual debate would be like. One thing was for sure though, it would draw in the viewers... Levy absentmindedly sipped her coffee as the commercials rolled and began preening herself as her two guests emerged from the separate green rooms. They shot each other dirty looks as they sat down in the raised chairs. "Now, as a follow up to the discussion of the case's legal dimension the other day, we have in the studio today Psychiatrist and LGBTQ activist Erza Scarlet and Evangelist Lucy Heartfilia to discuss the moral dimension." Explained Levy. "Now, can both of you briefly explain your arguments?"

"Sure, I am a human being, and I have rights. The idea that I would be denied those rights for some petty ideological reason is disgusting." Explained Erza.

"God punishes nations for their sin, simple as that." Responded Lucy.

"He has extremely bad aim then, Russia's not doing half as well as Sweden, I should say." Rebutted Erza.

"Well, what do you think of the argument that the people should decide on such matters?" Asked Levy, trying to steer the argument away from the escalation it was clearly gravitating towards.

"We can't assume the majority will do what's right, this is a time when the government needs to declare something a universal right." Argued Erza.

"Government is no arbiter of such things, people have these things in their hearts." Said Lucy.

"Well, I should say that if marriage equality were put to a vote, in more than half of all states it would pass." Noted Levy, putting a graphic displaying some statistics on screen. "And that would appear to be all the time we have for today, the two of them will both be in our nation's capital, to rally support for their positions. More on this as it develops!"

* * *

Erza sifted through the comments on the interview across social media, it seemed positive enough. The vast majority was taking her side it seemed, but there were a few stragglers and... A meme? It looked like "Logic-less Lucy was starting to gain gain ground; that was pretty funny, she guessed, as she hailed a cab for herself and ordered the driver to get her to the hotel where she was staying.

* * *

Lucy's stomach turned. She was losing the war, no doubt about that. The nation had long made its mind up, and they sided against her and her kind. She was already a less than complimentary meme. "Maybe I should just give up..." Lucy thought to herself, before quickly dismissing the thought and hailing a cab to her hotel. Little did she know it was the same hotel where her greatest adversary was staying as well...

* * *

"Now, to relax." Erza thought as she pressed the elevator button, and entered the door as it opened. As the door was about to close though, a familiar, and less than welcome face entered the same elevator. "Lucy..." Erza muttered with a slight sneer.

"Same floor as you, how unfortunate." Lucy shot back.

"At least the floor has one decent person on it."

"Now who are you to...? Lucy was cut off by a sudden lurching motion and the elevator's lights shutting off. "Now what in the name of?"

"The elevator broke down, Logic-less." Deadpanned Erza.

"I know that, but now I'm stuck in an elevator with a degenerate!"

"Okay, rule number one when talking to me is avoid slurs, you cannot call me any such thing and expect a decent conversation." Reprimanded Erza.

Lucy blushed. "Sorry..." She muttered sheepishly. It seemed that Erza commanded more respect than Lucy had thought. "So, do we have any common ground?"

"Well, I do understand we were both sent to conversion camps in high school." Noted Erza, remembering her own traumatic experience.

"And mine taught me to be straight!" Shouted Lucy.

"No, it didn't." Said Erza, with a dead serious look in her eyes. "What they did was force you to pose as someone you're not. I get why you're an evangelist; it's compensating. You can't stand that you're gay, so you cover it up."

Lucy was taken aback. Erza was right, that was more or less it. She knew as well as Erza did that she wasn't "ex-gay." She was as gay as she was that fateful day that her parents sent her to that awful camp. The only thing keeping her sane against the shame was to appear as straight as possible. That's why she'd married that useless idiot Natsu after all... "But is there a better way?" Demanded Lucy. "You don't know how much my family made me hate myself!" She added, fighting back tears.

"Don't worry, I felt the same way for awhile, but in college, things changed. I learned more about the world, and the more views I learned, the more I realized that being afraid was keeping so many good things out of reach. I could be happy as a lesbian, I just had to find the right circle of friends." Explained Erza. "I understand what you're going through Lucy, because I feel the same way."

"Well, would this be a bad time to say that I find you attractive, given that you just psychoanalyzed me?" Asked Lucy.

"Should be okay as long as that was the last time I analyze you." Muttered Erza.

"Okay, because I kind of do..." Muttered Lucy. "I know we've done nothing but argue endlessly since... Well, '09. I needed to express it somehow, and I couldn't exactly be friends with you..."

"It's okay Lucy; we may need to be a bit covert about it, but we can try it out. A date tonight?"

"Sure, and I'll come out, change my MO, and be open about us if we work out as soon as possible." Agreed Lucy, giving Erza a small kiss on the cheek as the elevator lit up again and resumed its climb.

* * *

3 years later...

"And in human interest today, Erza Scarlet and Lucy Heartfilia are marrying after three years as a couple. As you know, the two had quite a history together, and the revelation that Ms. Heartfilia was a lesbian certainly ruffled some feathers among many an evangelical, but today all seems happy. The two activists are posting furiously about it on social media, and personally, I find it hard to call all of this anything but adorable. Those two are good friends and wonderful people, and I'm really happy for them; I'll be attending myself in a couple of hours. This is Levy Macgarden, laying down the news in Solid Script."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My god, this one turned out poorly... I'm still not sure what I was going for with it, and it feels kind of awkward. I apologize for my inadequacies.


	8. Of Girlfriends, Repression, and Strawberry Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, one more chapter before I take a bit of a break from updating, I'll be back sometime in Early June.
> 
> Notes: Canon 'Verse, Erza shares some strawberry cake with Lucy, Lucy is nervous about this development.

"Hey Mirajane..." Sighed Lucy, tired and slightly sore from her last job.

"What's going on Lucy?" Asked Mirajane, as she continued to tend the bar.

"Well, I have had what may be the worst job I've taken in my entire career as a mage..." Lucy explained, still nearly ready to keel over.

"That bad, what was it?" Asked Mirajane, shocked to hear just how terrible this job supposedly was.

"Yep, what I thought was a simple 'clear weak-ass dark mage' job turned out to be a grind against an entire dark guild. Alone. And not a weak one.

"Well then I suppose it's fortunate that you're still alive." Noted Erza, coming up behind Lucy and placing a hand on her shoulder in solidarity.

"Hi Erza..." Lucy said, nervously.

"It sounds like you've been through a lot. How about you get some rest and we can do a girls' night, you seem like you could use a little bit of relaxation." Offered Erza.

"Um, yes!" Lucy exclaimed, hardly able to believe her luck.

"Good, I'll come by your apartment in say 5 hours?"

"Sounds perfect." Agreed Lucy, as Erza left the guild hall.

"Mirajane, any advice you have for me here?" Asked Lucy, awkwardly shifting her weight and staring around obliquely.

"Well, I know you like Erza, but I really think this is one of those times where you just have to let it play out. Don't go for a big confession or anything, just let yourself develop a connection with Erza and if she likes you, it'll just happen." Advised Mirajane.

"Okay." Sighed Lucy; she didn't like the answer, but deep down, she knew Mirajane was right. There was just no good way to say something like that to Erza. She'd be leading on that front. Lucy knew that much without a doubt. She promptly left for her apartment for a shower and some rest, eagerly anticipating her time with Erza.

* * *

Lucy put on some makeup and checked her look in the mirror four or five times as she heard the door knock, before finally tepidly opening it, to find Erza standing there, with a friendly smile. "Hey! You look good." She complimented.

"So do you." Responded Erza with a smile.

"What were you thinking we'd do tonight?" Asked Lucy.

"I was thinking go to a nice pub, I know there's one not too far from your apartment that has some great strawberry cake." Said Erza.

Lucy giggled under her breath. Nothing kept Erza away from cake, it seemed. "Anything else this pub has on the menu?" She Asked.

"Not sure, but strawberry cake!" Insisted Erza.

"Yes, I know." Laughed Lucy, as she followed Erza to the pub.

* * *

The place turned out to be quite a nice little pub, a simple wooden building, but a nice atmosphere, with many memorabilia connected to guilds of past and present, most of all Fairy Tail itself. The people within seemed a bit classier than most, especially for the time of night it was.

"Well, this is kind of nice." Muttered Lucy.

"Indeed!" Declared Erza, munching on her strawberry cake gleefully.

"Well, I'm happy if you are." Agreed Lucy, tepidly biting her own order of onion rings. They were quite good.

"I'm really impressed, this is some the best strawberry cake I've had in a long time!" Said Erza, devouring yet more of the massive amount of cake before her, with Lucy finding the whole thing more endearing than she let on.

"Hey, don't be so messy!" Lucy reprimanded, finding it kind of funny all the while.

"Well this cake is really flaky..." Protested Erza, as an idea crossed her mind. "Here, you try to eat it with out spilling a bit on your clothes."

Lucy froze up. She knew it was something extremely rare and special for Erza to offer to share her cake with anyone. Did this mean that Erza liked her? "No, no." Lucy thought to herself. Take Mirajane's advice, and wait for Erza's feelings to be made more clear. "Fine, I will." She declared, as she grabbed her fork and speared a piece of Erza's cake, which began to fall off as soon as she picked it up. Thankfully, enough remained that she was able to taste said cake, and Erza was right, it was quite good, perfectly sweet and the strawberry bits were baked so that the texture complemented the cake perfectly. It was enough for lucy to forget that much of said cake had crumbled on her outfit. "Fine..." Sighed Lucy as soon as she realized that Erza was right.

"Well, that'll show you!" Laughed Erza, putting her hand on Lucy's shoulder from across the table and looked into Lucy's eyes.

"Hey Erza?" Lucy began as Erza's eyes looked even deeper into her eyes.

"Yes?" Erza asked, pausing from her ruminations to hear Lucy out.

"Actually, never mind." Lucy decided, as she let the moment flow, and seconds later experienced the ecstasy of her first ever kiss with Erza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A bit shorter than I usually go... I hope it was still good... Better than last chapter I guess. I promise to have a new chapter early in June!


	9. Two Minds, One Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate AU where people gain a red mark where their soulmate first touches them; Lucy is a workaholic office drone, and Erza is a free spirited artist, they start off a little rough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite "early" June, but I did my best... I hope this one being extra long makes up for it, and canon verse prompts will return next chapter, and a bit of news for this story: I start college in August, so I'm going to be taking a break from my stories (all of them) starting in August, at least until I get the rhythm of college life down and feel like I have enough extra time; thank you for understanding.

"Damn it!" Shouted Lucy, as she ran into her car and floored the gas in reverse, rocketing the car out of the driveway and onto the kitsch suburban road she lived on. She had a meeting with her superiors at ten, a working lunch at noon, and a meeting with her project team at three; there wasn't much time to lose, and of  **course**  today was the day she slept late and her goddamn toaster broke. Now she had to do all of that without breakfast. Needless to say, Lucy wasn't in the best of moods as she raced onto the highway, desperately gunning her car towards the city, hoping to god she could still make it on time.

* * *

"Another day in paradise!" Laughed Erza, as she set up her small street corner stand, showing off her wares to the public; she was an artist, and a damn good one if she said so herself. No part of the city was safe from her creative mind, anachronism and pomp, highbrow and lowbrow, all came together in her work. People who bought it were always satisfied, but she was a bit flaky to really get anywhere. Sure, she could make good art, but she was too lazy to make much at all, or to bother improving or marketing it. She made enough to eat, make rent on a tiny studio apartment, and pay all the bills, but just about nothing else. All in all, Erza had the opposite problem as Lucy, too little drive.

* * *

Lucy rushed through the crowded streets, desperately on the move and looking out for any gap in the wall of cars she was both a member of and navigating through. Fucking traffic. This was the worst part of her day, no doubt. She thought to herself, as she found a gap, and shifted into the furthest lane, adjacent to the very sidewalk where Erza was hocking her art. She drove forward eagerly, but was run off the road seconds later by an unsuspecting fellow driver, she veered her car onto the sidewalk instinctively, and promptly sideswiped Erza's stand, knocking it over.

"Hope you can pay for those, my paintings don't paint themselves you know." Groaned Erza, as she stood up, angered at the destruction before her.

"It isn't my fault some idiot ran me off the road!" Shouted Lucy, indignantly, as she walked over to the vendor to the end of intimidation, but tripped on the way, fell on her, and accidentally ran her hand on the other woman's neck while catching her balance.

"Look, just pay me, say, 500 dollars, and we're even. I know you can afford it, what with a car like that." Muttered Erza, motioning to the very nice and quite new car that Lucy had walked out of.

By now, a crowd had formed around the two, and Lucy was already thoroughly exhausted. There was no point in fighting it. She needed to get to work and there was no way she could leave without paying.

"Here." Sighed Lucy, writing a check and handing it off to Erza, then getting into her car, which was miraculously undamaged, and driving off in a huff.

"Damn traffic!" Lucy shouted to no one in particular. She was far from ready for her day now, she was about ready to decapitate someone, and... "Wait." Lucy muttered, noticing something strange on her hand, it was bright red and glowing, and positioned exactly where she'd touched that woman from earlier. No denying it, that woman was her soulmate. "What. The. Fuck!?" Demanded Lucy, simultaneously angry and flabbergasted. "How the hell is she my soulmate!?"

* * *

"Apologies!" Said Lucy, as she rushed into the meeting room, seconds before 10:00, and slightly frazzled.

"You're late." Sighed Makarov, her boss. "This is out of character."

"Well, I kind of crashed into a tent..."

"No matter, I'll let it slide. This once." Conceded Makarov.

"Okay, now for what you've come here for." Announced Lucy, getting out a flash drive and putting it in the laptop connected to the room's projector.

* * *

"Some people..." Sighed Erza, as she walked to the bank to cash the check. "At least I have time to paint more before I need to pay any bills again..." She thought as she crossed the street in front of a few high school kids seemingly on a field trip, who were inexplicably laughing at her. "What the hell?" Erza wondered aloud as she entered the bank, now obsessed with knowing what it was she was being mocked for.

* * *

"Fuck!" Shouted Erza as she noticed the reason from the bathroom mirror. She had the unmistakable red mark of a soulmate on her neck, exactly where the woman from earlier had brushed her by accident. "How am I supposed to be happy with such a stuck up asshole?" She demanded to no one in particular, as she stormed out of the building in search of a scarf, despite it being the middle of summer.

* * *

"No!" Fumed Lucy, as she sat alone at her desk, after her long day. It seemed she'd been too busy all day to really appreciate the gravity of her situation; she was destined for a complete stranger whom she was already on bad terms with, how was she even supposed to find her, much less live with her? "No." Lucy thought to herself, she'd just have to live without her soulmate, it wouldn't be too hard, just don't look for her and all would be well... "Now all that's left is-" She began, louder than she'd intended.

"You all right, Lucy?" Asked a familiar voice, that of her coworker Levy.

Lucy sighed, she was ready to leave, and needed a break, but of course no such luck. "Uh, yeah, just had kind of off day."

"Hm, met your soulmate I see." Levy cut right to the chase, pointing at the mark on Lucy's hand.

"Yes, and I would prefer not to talk about it." Sighed Lucy, her negative emotions being drummed back up.

"Hey, you don't choose who your soulmate is Lucy, took me two years to fall for mine, after I knew him." Laughed Levy.

"I guarantee I'll never love mine, not in a million years." Resolved Lucy, a disgusted look on her face.

"Never is such a strong word." Laughed Levy, as Lucy left the floor, relieved but still nervous.

* * *

"Damn, I'm not cooking anything tonight." Sighed Lucy, tired from the whirlwind that was her day as it stood now. She veered off, deciding on a nice city park she was fond of, and set about finding a good food cart. At this point, that was all she had energy for. She disembarked from her car, and walked toward the park's heart, and found a cart selling burgers, and bought one. It was tolerable, but not the best she'd had. The park was a calm, average scene on this day; a few families, some people flying kites, a musician or two busking, and... Lucy nearly choked on her food. It was her soulmate, sketching a scene, on a bench less than 20 feet from her. She hid her face, hoping not to draw the other woman's attention, but no such luck.

"You!?" Demanded Erza, angry but oddly ambivalent.

"Me..." Sighed Lucy, more embarrassed than anything else.

"Well, I don't understand this at all." Erza fumed. "We don't fit each other."

"I know that as well as you, you think I planned this?" Protested Lucy.

"Well-" Began Erza, unable to think about what a good response would be, and dropping her sketchbook in the confusion.

"You dropped this." Noted Lucy, as she picked up the sketchbook and handed it to Erza, getting a look at the page it was opened to. "You-you're really good."

"Thank you." Said Erza, I tend to just sort of draw what I see, then I think about what could be. I draw it like people thought the future would look like 50 years ago, or like an alternate version of 100 years ago; I'm inspired by everything and nothing, and I mix the familiar with the unfamiliar."

"That's actually really interesting." Noted Lucy, admiring the sketch just a little bit more after hearing that.

"Well, I may not want to be your soulmate still, but hey, you're not that bad. My name's Erza Scarlet, by the way." Laughed Erza.

"Same, and mine's Lucy Heartfilia." Agreed Lucy, as the two parted ways once again, ever so slightly attracted, and the motions of the universe working on them at last.

* * *

One week later...

Lucy walked through the park, hoping to clear her head. It had been a long week, as always. Her work always came first, and she'd gone her standard route of working three nights out of a five day work week. A nice walk was a good way to clear her head. She went to that same square where she'd last seen Erza, not sure why, but a building curiousity and fascination with her soulmate had developed over the week, and though she would never admit it, was hoping desperately to see her again. It would seem her prayers were answered, as the first thing she noticed coming in was none other than Erza, though she wasn't drawing anything this time, simply flitting about the area. "Erza?" She asked, catching Erza's attention.

"Lucy, I was... Well, looking for you." Sighed Erza, deciding to speak honestly.

"I was looking for you." Answered Lucy, returning Erza's honesty.

"I know you don't want anything to do with me, but... I have to wonder if maybe whatever assigns soulmates was right after all." Explained Erza.

"That's not true anymore, I do want to know more about you, you actually seem, well, pretty cool." Explained Lucy.

"Same here." Sighed Erza, in weak agreement.

"Well how about this, tomorrow night, we do a date, figure out if this is going to work or not? I'm working till 3 even though it's a Saturday, so how about 6?

"Sounds great, I'll see you then, we meet here, and we'll leave enough time to do two things, one you decide on, and one I decide on." Explained Erza.

"Great!" Said Lucy, overjoyed.

* * *

Lucy threw on a nice white dress and a necklace with a gold pendant. Something a bit neutral. She'd reserved a table at a nicer restaurant, and had informed Erza to dress nicer, and Erza had reported similar instructions for Lucy. She was happier than she'd been in a long time, and that would all hinge on tonight. Lucy nervously drove off to the park where she and Erza had last talked, where they had agreed to meet.

* * *

"You're looking nice." Said Erza, coming up to Lucy in a sheerer black dress.

"Thank you... You are too." Lucy managed, a bit distracted by Erza's ensemble.

"Let's see, where were you hoping to eat?" Asked Erza.

"Oh, right, a nice place only a few blocks from here, and leave room for dessert." Answered Lucy, as the two walked hand in hand, the night seeming to get better by the minute.

* * *

"Well, that was amazing." Agreed Erza, finishing off her dessert, while Lucy finished hers.

"Well, I'm lucky I guess. One of the only places I know; I work too much to explore much of the city..." Explained Lucy.

"What, really?" Asked Erza. "This whole city and you only know one good restaurant, nothing else?"

"I guess so."

"Well, let's see what we can do about that." Declared Erza.

* * *

"What is this place?" Asked Lucy, as she and Erza stood in front of what appeared to be a rented-out dance hall.

"Ah, it's a themed dance, I'm a sucker for these kinds of things; hope it isn't too cheap..." Sighed Erza.

"No, this should be interesting; except I don't know what the theme is..." Sighed Lucy, realizing that could be a problem.

"Well, I may have brought some things..." Offered Erza, holding up two bags that presumably contained the relevant costumes.

"Excellent!" Declared Lucy, letting go of her normal rigidity for just a bit.

* * *

"Hahahaahaha! That was amazing!" Laughed Lucy, as she and Erza returned to that square of the park, to retrieve their cars.

"Hey, your half of the night wasn't so bad either. I don't think I've ever had food that good in my life." Offered Erza, with a sincere smile.

"Well, I look forward to our next date then." Said Lucy, a sincere smile of her own dotting her face.

"Right, when's good for you?"

"Well, I have to leave on business Monday, and I get back Thursday, so how about next Friday?" Decided Lucy.

"Sure, and I'll call you if you like in between." Suggested Erza.

"Okay, just make sure to do it a little later, say after 5 Pacific Time?" Explained Lucy.

"Got it." Agreed Erza, with a smile, as she leaned in and bestowed a kiss on Lucy's lips.

* * *

"And as you can see..." Lucy faltered for a second as her cell phone began vibrating in her pocket.

"Ma'am?" Someone in the crowd asked.

"It's nothing, it can wait, I'm sure." Decided Lucy, as she continued her presentation. "Now, any questions?"

* * *

"Erza, Pacific Time, Central Time is two hours ahead." Sighed Lucy, after leaving the boardroom.

"Well..." Muttered Erza.

"It's fine, I've made that mistake before." Conceded Lucy, feeling a bit annoyed, but realizing that it wasn't really all that important. Nothing negative had come from it, and a simple error like that was hardly out of the ordinary.

"Well anyways, I'm calling to check in, and to remind you to have a little bit of fun, take a nice walk, eat some unhealthy and unsensible food, just do something!" Demanded Erza.

Lucy sighed. "I'll see about that." She said, stifling a laugh.

"Good." Erza said, as she hung up, a huge smile on her face.

"Well, I did want to see the shore..." Sighed Lucy, walking out of the building, but not to her hotel, instead to the beach, to clear her head.

* * *

"Damn, Erza was right." Lucy thought, looking out at the ocean and eating some cheap boardwalk food. This was a nice experience, the kind she could never get in an office, and it was beautiful. Of course, it took a job to get her there... "Well, I suppose I gotta sleep sometime, but hey, lots of exploring to do..." Lucy mused, trying to pick one.

* * *

"I'm baaaaaack!" Declared Lucy, meeting Erza, who had come to Lucy's house based on her instructions as the redhead opened the door.

"Hell yeah! Now, to have an awesome night in, courtesy of your awesome soulmate!" Declared Erza, rushing in with several bags and kissing Lucy as she set the bags off to the side. "Now, movie. Or Mario Kart, you choose."

"Uh, Mario Kart, I guess..." Muttered Lucy, sheepishly, she'd not played in over a decade, but something told her doing so now would be a lot of fun.

"Well then, let's get started."

* * *

"Damn blue spiny shells!" Shouted Erza, as Lucy pulled ahead into the lead, leaving her in the dust.

"What, I was queen of Mario Kart in High School." Lucy said, with a wry smile.

"All right, rematch, and this time no items." Ordered Erza.

"Won't help you, but fine." Sighed Lucy, a vitrol like no other in her eyes.

* * *

"Goddammit! How about a movie..." Said Erza, resigning herself to losing to Lucy in Mario Kart, but still thoroughly annoyed by it.

"Sure, what do you want to watch, I'll make popcorn, you figure something out." Agreed Lucy.

"Okay, what to watch what to watch?" Deliberated Erza before settling on a cheesy 80s action movie. "I've made up my mind." Shouted Erza.

* * *

"Are all these one-liners really necessary?" Quipped Lucy, jokingly.

"It adds to the cheese!" Insisted Erza, equally jokingly.

"Well I could get used to it then..." Lucy joked, before leaning in and kissing Erza, which Erza reciprocated and the two spent a good deal of time huddled up like that, until falling asleep in each others' embrace.

* * *

Erza woke to a loud and frantic Lucy.

"Holy fuck I need to move! I have three hours of work today, can't miss a minute!" Shouted Lucy, slipping into work clothes, and desperately fixing a light breakfast for herself.

"Lucy, live a little." Said Erza.

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks. "I need to work; I make money, you're broke until you sell a painting, I can spend money on things. I can see the world I can-"

"How much time do you have to use that money?" Asked Erza.

"Well... I. I-" Lucy sighed. She knew Erza had her there. She was all work and no play. She made plenty, but never had the time to enjoy what that entailed. "But do you like living in one cramped room and having barely enough money for Ramen Noodles? It isn't like work is useless." She protested.

"Well..." Muttered Erza in weak agreement. Lucy had her there. Erza would like a bit more success, a better place, and a bit more stability in her life, but her current way of life was a bit too laid back for that. Being without obligations did kind of make her a bit lazy, and that showed.

"You're right." Sighed Lucy, giving up.

"No, you are." Countered Erza.

"What?"

"What?"

Awkward silence. After building a bit of nerve, Lucy spoke. "Maybe we're both onto something." She offered. "I could stand to lighten up, and you could stand to work more."

"Yep." Agreed Erza. "And hey, maybe we could help each other on the way." She said, getting up and giving Lucy another kiss.

* * *

2 years later...

"Well, do you have it?!" Asked Erza, eagerly badgering her fiance as she sat at the computer desk.

"Erza, I'm making business decisions for five art galleries across the nation, the cake for our wedding needs to take a back seat!" Laughed Lucy, as she was communicating with stockholders. It had been an eventful set of years. Lucy had quit her job and put her business sense toward dealing art. It was nice. She could set hours that worked for her, and she had a good enough command structure to take some time off when she needed it. Erza was of course one of the artists featured in Lucy's galleries, and she'd gotten a better grasp on the work. She was finishing more paintings than ever before, and people were buying them. Life was better for both Lucy and Erza than it'd ever been before and it didn't show any sign of changing. "All right, all right." Lucy agreed, as Erza constructed a crude sign out of lined paper and tape reminding her to order a cake. Lucy sighed contentedly, Erza really was her soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this may just be the longest chapter so far, I hope that makes up for the wait, and I hope you all like it. I'll try to keep updating, but be warned things may be even less frequent come this fall; thanks for sticking with me, and until next time!


	10. Celebration Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Canon 'Verse, Erza and Lucy move in together, look on the past, worry about the present, and look to their future together. A good bit of fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this, and then a long break, I need a bit of time to be a college student, and I have a completely different set of stories I'll be doing after getting more situated (Not to worry, one of them is an ErLu story). Anyway, enjoy...

"It's today!" Lucy shouted to no one in particular, as she got out of bed, and began preparing for the day ahead of her. It was the happiest day of her life. She and the love of her life, Erza were moving in together, and she had a big day ahead of her, full of moving into the house they'd bought together earlier that month, nothing she could leave behind. Thankfully, she didn't own much; Erza would have the bulk of items, which of course Lucy might have to help with. Despite the obvious difficulty of such a proposition, Lucy found herself oddly content to do that.

* * *

"Lucy, Erza was here just about ten minutes ago, she said to tell you to meet her at the house, congratulations by the way, reminds me of when Cana and I moved in together." Mirajane told Lucy as the latter walked into the guild hall.

"Oh, good to know." Answered Lucy, as she departed from the guild hall, her eye catching the park where she and Erza had their first date a year ago.

Flashback: One year ago:

"Well, this is cool." Muttered Lucy, as she looked around the (admittedly underwhelming) park, and at Erza, seemingly expecting something more.

"Erm, yes..." Sighed Erza, with a nervous grin. She wanted to be the best girlfriend Lucy could ask for, but here she was, not knowing a thing about this stuff, and passionately feeling the need to be. This date was fast becoming a disaster, and there was nothing more that could be said about it.

"Well, I guess we should rest up, no telling what tomorrow will bring, right?" Said Erza, stuttering and flubbing all the way.

"Um, yeah, I guess." Sighed Lucy, in an equally awkward fashion, as the two women parted ways, going to their respective homes.

Lucy stifled a laugh, both of them thought their chances were shot after that horrible date, but the spark was still there, and the next day, they both agreed to try it again, with a bit more level-headed mindset going in, and the desire to learn a bit more. Their second try went a bit better, and the dates just kept getting better and better.

* * *

"Well, I hope Lucy will be here soon..." Muttered Erza, placing some of her display armor in places she and Lucy had agreed on prior, and trying to get the big surprise ready for her girlfriend; thankfully, Levy and Wendy had helped with that, so it was running smoothly, but it was still a bit of a challenge getting it all together. "I really wish I could know when Lucy was in danger." Erza thought to herself. In their line of work, the idea of losing someone to a job gone wrong was a scary but all too believable for the guild mage. After that invasion from the west, things seemed less and less certain by the day, and if anything, Erza feared for the future, but at the same time, she couldn't say she hated the future or anything like that. She knew full well that there was no challenge that the guild couldn't overcome, she was part of the greatest guild there is, and Lucy was safer here than anywhere else. She was ready, no reason to fear now. "Now, for the cake..." Erza remembered, as she rushed off to the bakery for her favorite treat.

* * *

"Well, here it is." Lucy said, sincerely and with an air of excitement, as she went up to the house she and Erza would now share. Dangerous as it may be, she was more than ready for whatever the future was to hold. Their last battle was going to be small and inconsequential next to what was to come, but the way things were going, things were looking just fine. She and Erza had had an amazing time over the past year, and this was just the beginning...

Flashback: the end of the Albareth invasion.

"Lucy! We made it." Sighed Erza, with an immense relief plain to all on her face as she picked Lucy up and kissed her passionately.

"I love you!" Shouted Lucy, the first time she'd told Erza that.

"Well, this is an interesting development." Noted Mirajane, watching the two from a slight distance.

"Erm, so yeah..." Muttered Lucy, noticing the mages watching them and suddenly embarrassed.

"We're fine with the two of you, don't worry." Laughed Cana, leading Mirajane by the hand, and the other guild members present congratulating the two.

"Well, this could be worse." Sighed Lucy, despite being nearly ready to die of embarrassment.

"Worse? This is a good thing, Lucy." Erza reassured her girlfriend, giving her another loving kiss.

Lucy gained a big grin as she lugged the three bags containing all of the things she wanted to take with her up to the front door, to be met by her girlfriend, a huge smile on the redhead's face.

"Welcome home, Lucy." Laughed Erza, loving the words as she spoke them; she'd be looking forward to saying the words more and more.

"Glad to be here." Answered Lucy, leaning in to kiss her girlfriend.

"Well, I'm about done with getting my things set up, so just get yours situated, and we'll celebrate." Explained Erza, as she took two of Lucy's bags and set them on the floor, opening them, Lucy joining her to unpack her relatively few possessions.

* * *

"And now, for the strawberry cake!" Declared Erza, as she requipped a comically large knife and cut half the cake for herself, leaving the rest for Lucy.

"Wait, I have one more thing to do..." Muttered Lucy, remembering the arrangements she'd made, Natsu must have been his idiot self and forgotten.

"Hm, so do I." Muttered Erza, remembering herself. "Here, it's in the basement." She said, directing Lucy down the stairs.

* * *

"All of this!?" Shouted Lucy, faced with an amazing room filled with books she knew but had not read, and was hoping to acquire (many were quite rare), all arranged perfectly.

"Well, Levy and Wendy sort of helped with the finding out and organizing parts, but I was good at finding them..." Muttered Erza.

"It's wonderful." Laughed Lucy, but her enthusiasm faded, and she suddenly grew impatient. "I found something for you, but Natsu still hasn't-"

Just then, a figure about Natsu's height wearing black samurai armor too big for him fell down the stairs into the basement landing, and stood up.

"Natsu! You weren't supposed to wear the armor, and where have you been?" Demanded Lucy.

"Well Happy and I thought the armor was really badass and we wanted to play Samurai..." Began Natsu.

"That's Erza's armor idiot." Groaned Lucy as Natsu threw the armor off and Lucy slapped her flame-headed friend.

"Well, what's this armor do?" Asked Erza, picking it up and admiring it.

"It's a lifestream armor, it heals you a little every time you damage someone or something." Explained Lucy, as Erza used her magic to equip it.

"It's wonderful, thank you so much Lucy." Erza said, simply, as she requipped her normal clothes and the couple shared another kiss.


	11. Did it Hurt when you Fell From Heaven?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU, Erza is a goddess who has been flung from her realm and must recuperate. Lucy is a beleaguered twentysomething whose apartment Erza finds herself in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last update before I go to college and take a break from updating at least until a school break happens...

"What the hell?" Demanded Erza, fresh off of her battle with a demon army.

"We're sorry, but Lord Makarov demands you stay out of the divine realm for the time being, until the destruction from the last battle is reversed, explained Mirajane, one of Makarov, the highest god's, assistants.

"If I hadn't banished all those demons there'd have been more destroyed! Protested Erza.

"You made them invade us in the first place." Countered Mirajane. "You will be placed in a random location on earth while your mess is cleaned up. Your body will still be unkillable by human hands and by all methods except that of a god or a demon, but you'll feel pain just like a human can. Maybe this'll teach you not to destroy so recklessly." Sighed Mirajane, as she activated a magic circle that tossed Erza out of the heavenly realm, and into low earth orbit.

* * *

Erza fell fast, reaching what humans called terminal velocity in seconds. Erza fell, headed for a landmass she'd heard called North America. She fell further and further, clouds surrounding her, and the land beneath coming into view. She noticed that she was headed for a city, and was about to land on top of a smaller, four-story apartment building. She crashed through the roof, but her godly powers kicked back in just after, and she was able to slow her descent and land on the apartment building floor with little more than a dull thud. It was the middle of the day, and it seemed that no one was yet home. Erza picked herself up from the floor and inspected her surroundings. A fairly standard apartment, a few tables and chairs, memorabilia on the walls here and there, and a bedroom and bathroom off to the side. Erza quickly searched her surroundings to determine who exactly might live there, and concluded it belonged to a young woman of middle class standing. Perhaps she might be some help in making sense of the world of humans once she returned. To make her a bit more willing to do so, Erza confirmed her magic was still working by repairing all of the damage to the roof. Erza sighed with both relief and a rising pain-as Mirajane had informed her prior-as she turned on a device in the living room she recognized as a TV. The news was already on, a mysterious object was spotted over the city and had crashed into an apartment building. Disaster crews were already on their way. Erza looked at the TV with worry in her eye. She should probably hide. "I hope some power is still left..." She thought to herself as she attempted to turn invisible with her divine magic, and did so. Good, at least she had more magic to work with here. Seconds later, the recovery team busted their way into the apartment, only to find it mysteriously empty. There appeared to be no damage at all, and as time went on, it seemed that their reason for being there at all was getting fuzzier and fuzzier-all effects of Erza's repair job.

"Why are we here?" One of them chimed in.

"I remember we were supposed to respond to some kind of disaster here, but it looks like we took a wrong turn, nothing out of the ordinary to be seen." Said another.

"Well we need to fix the damn door then, at which point this never happened." Sighed a third.

"Right." The others muttered in agreement, with Erza breathing a muffled sigh of relief. She was safe for now, at least until whoever lived here got home, but then, Erza was perfectly capable of using more magic...

* * *

"Thank god..." Muttered Lucy, as she entered the apartment, having heard the story on the news earlier, forgotten it like the others, but seemingly a bit more resistant to the power of Erza's magic, because she still had a lingering feeling that something had gone horribly wrong in her apartment. It seemed to be a false alarm though, Lucy thought to herself. Her home was the same as she'd left it, and there was no real reason to believe that there was anything wrong. Of course, Erza was hiding just behind the couch, as Lucy would soon discover, as she threw her purse onto the couch, as she so often did. This time though, it hit Erza, whose cloaking was disarmed and the goddess herself face to face with the apartment's tenant.

"Um, who and or what are you?" Asked Lucy, cowering behind a chair, the fear plain in her eyes.

Erza attempted to erase the memory of this woman, but the next second decided against it, she might be helpful in understanding human culture for the duration of her stay in the world of mortals, after all. "I am called Erza Scarlet, and I am a goddess of the highest realm, what you humans might call Heaven, or Summerland, Elysium... Look, the point is I'm a deity and my superiors have seen fit to banish me while they clean up a demon army that I destroyed."

"Are you all there?" Asked Lucy, giving the redhead a strange look and slowly inching back while drawing her cell phone, ready to dial any authority that might listen.

"Does this prove it to you?" Erza asked, as she used her magic to make the objects in Lucy's apartment float in the air, effortlessly.

"What's your story then?" Asked Lucy, both fascinated and scared.

"I was cast down from the highest realm after my battle with an army of demons destroyed a good bit of the grand city, I am to remain here until the others have repaired the damage."

"How long will that take?" Asked Lucy.

"I'd guess about six of what you humans call months, but if they take their sweet time to teach me a lesson, who knows?"

"Well then, why did you come here?" Asked Lucy, confused not only about Erza's choice but also by the utter lack of evidence that there had been a break in.

"I fell through your roof, I fixed it and erased humanity's memory of it ever happening." Explained Erza.

"You can do all of that?" Asked Lucy, fascinated.

"Yes, but I think I need your help. I know nothing of human culture after all, so I would rather like a guide." Said Erza.

"Sure, I don't have work tomorrow, so I can help you with that tomorrow." Agreed Lucy, as she walked toward her bathroom to prepare for bed, and Erza fell upon the couch, the human concept of fatigue now taking her.

* * *

"So, humans need to work for all of the things you just have up there." Explained Lucy, as she walked Erza down a city street, showing her shops. "Now I don't know what skills you have where you're from, but it isn't likely you can be hired by anywhere major, you'll probably have to start at the bottom rung."

"The bottom rung?" Asked Erza.

"Yep." Affirmed Lucy, as she directed Erza to a fast food restaurant.

* * *

A few weeks later...

"This. Is. Fucking. Awful." Erza exclaimed, throwing the spatula she had flipped burgers with a few seconds before.

"Are you all right?" Asked Chelia, one of her coworkers, as Erza threw off her apron and left the hole in the wall for the city streets.

"I think Erza just quit..." Muttered Reedus, the off-kilter manager.

* * *

Lucy was shocked when she went to see Erza at that burger stand, because when she came there, she saw an impenetrable crowd, pushing through it, she came face to face with none other than the goddess, performing telekinetic feats, bringing random objects to life, and reading minds. "What are you doing?" Demanded Lucy, shocked at the goddess' impunity.

"Well the job was terrible, so I figured..."

"But you need to-" Began Lucy.

"I'll be sent back to the Highest Realm soon enough. I can just make the money you want me to in any way I can. Plus, I made more today than I did flipping burgers all week." Explained Erza, showing Lucy the money she'd obtained.

"Fine, just come to the apartment, I have something planned for tonight." Explained Lucy, as she led Erza by the hand down the city street.

In the shadows, a blue haired figure watched with interest. "Hm, it seems the gods themselves have sent the biggest thorn in our side to earth. I suppose this is a grand opportunity. I wonder, what should I do?" The demon called Jellal laughed to himself, as he slinked through the shadows.

* * *

"What do you want to do?" Asked Erza, finding it a bit strange.

"Show you a bit of humanity, I don't know what the gods do, but down here, there's more than anyone can do in what we call a lifetime. Maybe something of that will appeal to you." Explained Lucy, handing Erza a tourism guide for their area.

"Hm, how about here, I don't think we have anything like that in the Highest Realm." Said Erza, pointing to a page full of promotional pictures of an amusement park that advertised the fact that it was open late.

"Sure, we can do that." Agreed Lucy, as she led Erza out of the apartment to their newly found destination.

* * *

"That looks amazing!" Exclaimed Erza, as she prodded Lucy towards a towering roller coaster, extending further than any Lucy had ever seen.

"I-I'm not good with those..." Sighed Lucy, embarrassed.

"Well you can wait here then." Said Erza, slightly disappointed, but more than willing to have fun on her own.

"Wait! I'll go with you!" Declared Lucy, suddenly and not entirely sure why she said it. She guessed she felt a lot safer by the goddess, seeing as she could basically reverse any adverse effects that Lucy might encounter, but also because she was finding this goddess quite beautiful, and wanted to spend some more time with her...

"Well, okay?" Muttered Erza a bit unnerved by the sudden change of heart.

* * *

"Ahhhhhhhh! I shouldn't have done this!" Shouted Lucy, as the roller coaster's car finally stopped in the station, and Lucy clung to Erza next to her.

"I don't know what to tell you." Deadpanned Erza. "You didn't want to, if I recall correctly."

Lucy sighed as the two walked out of the ride and went in search of a cold drink, because it was a hot night, and settled on a smoothie stand near some midway games.

"Well this is some of the most fun I've had in my life, for lack of a better term." Said Erza, sipping on a strawberry smoothie.

"Glad you're having fun." Lucy offered with a light blush, which she tried in vain to hide from Erza, as she started on her own smoothie, mango. She had hardly taken a sip before a passerby bumped her arm and sent the smoothie to the ground. "Damn..." She sighed.

"Here, have some of mine." Offered Erza, taking a second straw from a nearby stand and sticking it in her drink, then offering the straw to Lucy.

"Thank you." Agreed Lucy, as she drank a bit of the goddess' drink. It was good, probably better than what Lucy herself had ordered.

"Well, this is a great time, least I could do and all that." Erza said, simply.

"Great, how about we do some midway games?" Offered Lucy, motioning to the midway and ready to try to win something.

"Now seems as good a time as any, plenty to destroy..." Thought Jellal, as he saw his adversary across the way, with the same blonde companion as before. He began firing up a collective of bright, concussive lights, as was his specialty. Before he could catch Erza by surprise though, a crowd formed around him.

"Whoa, that guy's amazing."

"Crazy good effects."

"Fireworks from your own body? Bold move dude."

Jellal sighed. Humans weren't supposed to know about him. Therefore there was nothing he could do but play along, like he was some kind of circus freak.

* * *

"Haha! Take that!" Shouted Lucy, as she hit a final balloon with her final dart. She'd found a mark with each projectile, giving her a perfect score. The man behind the counter was shocked.

"Any prize you want..." He muttered, with a downcast expression, as Lucy chose a large chibi angel from the top rack of prizes and immediately handed it off to Erza.

"To remind you of home." Explained Lucy.

"We don't have anything that looks like that, is that something you on Earth believe of the highest realm?" Asked Erza, confused.

"Kind of..." Lucy said, trailing off.

"Well we don't, and now I think I may have to show you what it's like up there, if Lord Makarov lets me."

"I look forward to it." Agreed Lucy, as she and Erza walked to a less well lit corner of the park and stared at the other intently, and then without a word shared a kiss.

"Oh god..." Muttered Lucy, after breaking from it.

"What?" Asked Erza, confused at her companion's sudden hesitation.

"I'll die, and I'm in love with someone who won't..." Lucy sighed, suddenly downcast.

Erza bit her lip, realizing the same. "I'm sure we can figure something out..." She sighed. "It isn't common, but every once in awhile, Lord Makarov allows a human to attain godhood, often at the petition of a natural born god. I'm not on great terms with him now, but perhaps I can sway favor with him in the coming years."

"It's a start." Offered Lucy, coming in for another kiss as Jellal watched intently.

"Hm, I now know what is most important to her, perhaps I should use that human as a bargaining chip..." Jellal mused to himself, as he slinked back into the shadows, forming a new plan.

* * *

Several weeks later.

"Tomorrow is it, first big magic gig." Erza sighed, as she entered the bed with Lucy, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend.

"You're going to knock them dead, I just know it, you're a goddess, damn it." Said Lucy, giving the biggest smile she could, before giving Erza a reassuring kiss. "I wish I could get off work to see it..." Lucy sighed, wistfully.

"Well I'm sure it'll be on local tv later, maybe the internet too." Reassured Erza, ruffling Lucy's hair."

"I can hope." Agreed Lucy, as the two drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Erza had the crowd enraptured. She had shown her incredible levitating, telekinesis, and even line of sight teleportation to all of the people there, and it would seem to have been unlike anything they'd ever seen. Erza couldn't wait to tell Lucy all about it. Unfortunately, it would have to wait.

"Lucy! It was amazing! The crowd loved me, I-" Erza returned to an empty apartment. "Lucy? Lucy!?" She cried, before noticing a note written in a scrawl she did not recognize. "If you want to see her again, come to the outskirts of the city, to the oldest warehouse there." Erza dropped the note in surprise. Someone had kidnapped Lucy. When Erza caught up, she'd give whoever it was hell. Of that, she was certain.

* * *

"Well, you swallowed that with little trouble." Remarked Jellal. as he showed Erza her girlfriend as the former walked into the room. Lucy seemed to be suspended by magical energy and unconscious, though a steady amount of breathing told Erza the young woman was still alive.

"Who are you?" Demanded Erza, angry and ready to kill the man before her.

"My name is Jellal, and I am, as you may have guessed, a demon. I understand there are few in the world of the Highest realm who are quite the thorn in our side as you, Goddess Erza Scarlet. Lord Mard Greer sent me to give you a proper sendoff."

"Kill me if you must, but leave her out of it!" Demanded Erza, falling to her knees.

"No. I don't much mind the death of a human, especially if that human is already half there!" Laughed Jellal, as Erza, realizing that she'd either die for sure or possibly live, rose to her feet and summoned a rain of swords, which hit Jellal and sent him flying.

"Hm, not bad, but I doubt you can stand up to my abilities..." Jellal laughed as he shot bursts of star energy at Erza, which hit home and sent Erza flying back in earnest.

"Not good..." Erza sighed. It seemed those demons she had faced prior were not the strongest stock among them. This Jellal far exceeded what Erza had known in the past to expect from a demon.

"Well, this shouldn't be long at all..." Yawned Jellal, growing bored with the battle, as he conjured what appeared to be a localized black hole and fired it towards Erza.

"One thing left to do." Decided Erza, a steel resolve dotting her face as she summoned a weapon unlike any other; a katana blade that would focus all of her power into one devastating strike. Here was hoping it would be enough. She charged at the black hole, and sliced her way through it, her momentum carrying, and she struck Jellal, slicing him in half as well. As that all happened, his cursed power faded, and the tethers placed upon Lucy were slowly loosed. Lucy began to fall from the relatively high point and Erza rushed over to catch her. Erza held the dying blonde in her arms, not sure what to do, or even to say. It didn't seem like Lucy could hear her anyway. While ruminating on exactly where she would go from there. Everything suddenly went white.

* * *

"Congratulations, your sentence is over." Said Makarov, giving Erza, Lucy still in her arms, a warm smile. "I am terribly sorry for doing so, but it seems you may have redeemed yourself. All that time on earth without any meaningful destruction, and a good deal of benefit to people's psyches, particularly the woman you are now holding."

Erza faltered. A bit embarrassed, but soon that gave way to joy as Lucy suddenly awoke and kissed Erza hard. "Lucy." Gasped Erza, as she alighted from Erza's arms, and inadvertently began floating in the air.

"I know the both of you wanted to come here, both as goddesses." Explained Makarov. "I think you've earned it, especially after handling that troublesome demon."

"Thank you so much, I promise to do all I can as a goddess." Said Lucy, as she was led by Erza to the latter's chambers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading these chapters of Of Stars and Of Swords. I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it, and while I may be putting this one on the back burner for a bit, I'm in no way turning my back on this fandom or this pairing. Until next time!


End file.
